Vol. 511 No. 5
83 Mr. McGrath asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage, Gaeltacht and the Islands if any otter habitats have been disrupted or destroyed in the restoration of the Royal Canal to date; her views on the decline in the otter population; and the proposals, if any, she has to initiate a conservation programme for this species. [24754/99]
Dúchas, the heritage service of my Department, is not aware of having permanently disrupted or destroyed any otter habitats during the course of the restoration works carried out on the Royal Canal. Pre-works ecological survey information indicated the presence of otters who probably feed on the fish in the canal and in adjacent rivers and streams but no evidence of holts was found on the canal banks. It is not envisaged that canal work will have a significant impact on the species or on their local populations.
I am advised by Dúchas, that there is no reason to believe that the general otter population is declining. Otters are territorially distributed, are found throughout the country and are highly adaptable to physical changes in their environment. It is not, therefore, proposed to initiate a special conservation programme for otters.
